[Hm, a fire breathing monster though… There are a lot of monsters like that, but one with that kind of firepower is rare.], Heoju grumbled as he tried to identify the monster that initially ravaged the village.
They decided collectively to head to the grave of the fallen tribesman where Dersia was laid to rest. Lee Sungmin wasn’t sure about the Crazy Heavenly Demon, but he was old enough to make his own decisions and had wanted to go see it.
Lee Sungmin looked at the back of the Crazy Heavenly Demon, who was walking ahead with a weakness in his faint steps.
It was the same for everyone, seeing that the mood had been down since they heard the story from Pervas. Especially for Aladdur, who regretted his mocking words earlier, seeing that he really didn’t expect The Crazy Heavenly Demon’s lover to be truly dead.
Lee Sungmin couldn’t find any words to comfort the group.
[If you think about it……. Hmm……. maybe a Fire Giant?], Heoju was lost in thought as he tried to identify the monster’s identity
But, there was really no reason to even look for the monster that attacked the tribe anymore, at least for Lee Sungmin’s case. Pervas didn’t know how to handle the techniques and forces the Crazy Heavenly Demon used so he had to try to find the villagers who knew how to do it.
To do so however, Lee Sungmin knew they must find Kumiho, not the monster that killed the villagers, as Kumiho was obviously the real cause of the disasters and the evil techniques. He recalled that Pervas said Kumiho took the surviving village warriors who wanted revenge.
“I want revenge.”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon muttered to himself.
Nevertheless, due to the anger and loss of the Crazy Heavenly Demon, he wanted to find the monster responsible for the slaughter of the tribe and death of his late Dersia. Even if it had been ten years ago for the Crazy Heavenly Demon, the connections he made in this village were quite dear to him.
The Crazy Heavenly Demon’s thoughts were muddled as he recalled the terrible things that had happened since he had left and gone insane from the techniques he practiced and the killing of the tribe while he was gone.
Lee Sungmin empathized with him, as he knew what it felt to feel the loss of something dear to him from forces and things outside of his control. If so, he wanted to be able to help the Crazy Heavenly Demon in his vengeance.
He had been traveling with the Crazy Heavenly Demon for almost a year now, and had heard several stories from Byuk Won-Pae about how much he held the tribe close to his heart.
The grave was overgrown with weeds and moss as it hadn’t been looked after due to the entire tribe either dead or scattered. Pervas was the only caretaker, and he wasn’t in a healthy state of mind as he had been overridden with fear and trauma.
The graveyard was pretty much abandoned.
“……that’s the one.”, Aladdur spoke in a small voice as he pointed to Dersia’s grave for the Crazy Heavenly Demon.
“Thank you.”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon said with a solemn but grateful voice to Aladdur.
Standing in front of the grave, no one knew what Byuk Won-Pae was thinking, as he stood there in silence. No one came forward to ask him, as they wanted to give him his peace.
[I don’t know. There are so many fire-breathing monsters…… why don’t you go and meet Kumiho instead?], Heoju, who had been lost in thought for a long time, spoke out.
If things went well and they were able to meet Kumiho, they might be able to find the other tribesman.
[Isn’t that right? You’ll know the identity of the monster that killed the other tribesman as well.], Heoju spoke trying to give some motivation to Lee Sungmin.
However, forget meeting with Kumiho. Even if he met that monster, it was incredibly unlikely it would even listen to Lee Sungmin if he wanted to know the location of the other tribesman.
Kumiho was no ordinary monster and based off of what Lee Sungmin had heard, Kumiho was a very sly and cunning beast that was playing Predator behind the scenes.
It wasn’t verified information if Kumiho truly was pulling the strings, but it had ripped Henemy’s heart out, Henemy who was the previous leader of Predator and was known to be hostile to humans and ate them.
He couldn’t possibly drag The Crazy Heavenly Demon into this and ask him to go. This was a beast that could kill them on a whim.
[But don’t you need to? You will have to take the risk at some point.], Heoju said to Lee Sungmin, reading his thoughts.
‘I know.’, Lee Sungmin replied, feeling bitter.
It wasn’t until sunset when the Crazy Heavenly Demon stood up from the grave and turned to face them. He fiddled with the bracelet he had in his hands.
“I’m thinking of going to the City of Endless Night.”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon said to Lee Sungmin.
“Good for you.”, Lee Sungmin said, nodding his head.
“I’m thinking of going to The City of Endless Night as well.”, Lee Sungmin added.
“I’m not going.”, said Aladdur, his shoulders trembling.
“Looking at the way that city is run, I think they’re involved with that monster Kumiho or other human-eating monsters. There’s no way I’m going.”, Aladdur said.
“Even if I give you more money?”, Lee Sungmin asked him.
“Don’t make me repeat myself! How many times do I have to tell you that no money is comparable to a human life?”, Aladdur cried out.
“Then do as you please.”, Lee Sungmin nodded his head.
He was reluctant to take Aladdur by force. They had been guided well by Aladdur to the tribe for now. With their destinations set, it wouldn’t be too troublesome if he used Neville. Thus, there was no need to take Aladdur by force.
“Don’t attract too much attention when you leave though. The Orthodox are not your match.”, Lee Sungmin replied to Aladdur warning him of his circumstances.
“They’re certainly strong, but I have no intention of getting mixed up with those bastards another time.”, Aladdur spoke as if he were sorry.
Lee Sungmin took out a large jewel from the spatial pocket and handed it to Aladdur. Aladdur opened his eyes wide and looked at the jewels given by Lee Sungmin.
“……what is this?”, Aladdur asked in shock.
“Compensation for guiding us here.”, Lee Sungmin spoke as if it were obvious.
“……ugh.”, Aladdur stretched out his hands to receive the jewels as he sounded sick.
He’s surprised by the weight of the heavy jewels, but he was a snob for money after all.
“I didn’t….”, Aladdur, who was mumbling his thick lips, sighed deeply.
“……I’m not going to go with you at all. Keep…”, he continued to mumble.
“What is it?”, Lee Sungmin asked again as Aladdur was struggling to come up with his words.
“It’s not just because of the monsters that I won’t go to the City of Endless Night. The teacher that……… I know. I’m unsure whether she has passed away or not, but if she’s alive, she’d be there…”, Aladdur spoke solemnly.
“It’s that kind of circumstance.”, Aladdur glanced at the silent Crazy Heavenly Demon, saying so.
“I don’t know her exact location anymore, but if you’re a member of Erebrisa, I’m sure you’ll be able to find her if she’s alive. Her name is Frau, I don’t know anything else that could be of help for you in finding her. But if you meet her, mention my name and she’ll do you a favor. She’ll be a bit stingy but as long as you pay the price it should be fine aha…”, Aladdur said so trying to cheer up his departure, but he still had a sense of dejection at leaving the group surprisingly.
“I’ll make sure to do so.”, Lee Sungmin replied with a smile and nodded his head.
Aladdur seemed to be having mixed feelings of gratitude at the party. Even though their time was short, they weren’t such a bad group as they all had their unique circumstances.
The Crazy Heavenly Demon was staring at Aladdur for a while. They didn’t have the best view of each other but, even he knew he should be grateful for the man who helped him to at least find his tribe and old lover’s grave. He then surprisingly bowed his head down to Aladdur at a ninety-degree angle.
“Thank you.”, Byuk Won-Pae said with complete gratitude.
“Well… you don’t need to thank me. It’s a favor, man. Just a favor.”, Aladdur made a fuss as he gave a rare genuine smile at the corners of his lips.
—
Lee Sungmin and the party had left the village.
Aladdur had said he would go to a secluded area, not anywhere with big influence so that he could avoid troubles with the Orthodox.
Through Erebrisa, Lee Sungmin inquired information through Neville about the Nine-Tailed Fox Kumiho, types of fire-breathing monsters and The City of Endless Night.
[There is only one Nine-Tailed Fox in all of Eria that has grown all nine tails. There might be other demonic foxes, but there is only one Nine-Tailed Fox which is known as Kumiho. Fire-breathing monsters are too common to be narrowed down from the information you’ve given me, but there’s a chance that Frau knows the identity of the fire-breathing monster you described.], Neville spoke to Lee Sungmin through a telepathic message.
‘Are you in the City of Endless Night right now?’ , Lee Sungmin asked Neville.
[Yes, Ms. Frau is particularly outstanding among the many Sorcerers in the South. We really wanted Ms. Frau to join as a member, but we were rejected every time we asked.]
Information about Frau’s location flowed into Lee Sungmin’s head from Neville.
Likewise, information about Kumiho also came in. Kumiho the Nine-Tailed Fox was a monster that had lived many, many years. It was said to be the strongest devil fox of all the fox monsters in Eria and that it was rather hard to locate.
It was true that Kumiho was controlling the actions of the Elders of Predator, but that didn’t mean Kumiho had specifically engaged in any kind of circumstance, let alone be traced to any kind of historic action.
It was a very different story from what he heard from Aladdur.
[Kumiho is known to not be hostile to humans. He’s actually been showing a bit of favor towards them.], Neville spoke to Lee Sungmin.
‘I’ve heard that more and more people are missing in recent years.’ , Lee Sungmin replied as he wasn’t sure at this point what was real and what was not regarding Kumiho so he stated the facts he did know.
[Hmm…… that’s true. In fact, Kumiho is not entirely free from blame for what happened. That’s what happens when Kumiho doesn’t take care of the other monsters.], Neville responded.
‘What does that mean?’ , Lee Sungmin asked back confusedly.
[Kumiho is a monster that suddenly became famous a few years ago for the act of ripping Henemy, the prior King of Monsters, heart out. Originally, there were many great monsters reigning as the elders of Predator long ago, not only the powerful yokai from 400 years ago, but also several powerful monsters counting more than the current number of elders right now. They were under the leadership of Henemy, but they were holding the knife ready to backstab Henemy at any time he showed a weakness. But then… Kumiho suddenly appeared.]
Lee Sungmin was not the only one listening. Heoju was also listening in on the conversation keenly, as he was interested in the knowledge of the present Eria.
[Kumiho’s appearance was extraordinary. Henemy couldn’t resist or defeat Kumiho, and his heart was pulled out, resulting in him running away. Until Kumiho appeared, Henemy was a monster that clearly reigned as the King of Monsters. Kumiho, who took over the spot, reigned only in name and did not control other monsters. It was a different type of ruling from the days of the old leader Henemy. Henemy was keeping the other monsters in check so they wouldn’t slaughter humans and gain a greater power to overthrow him later.], Neville spoke.
[I see now.], Heoju mumbled, shaking his head.
[But because Kumiho was very lax, it is only now that the Great Demons that rule as the elders in Predator have begun to hunt human beings in order to increase their strength. As time goes by, the number of humans who will disappear from their elders will increase.], Neville spoke as if he were drawing a conclusion then let out a chirp in exclamation as he realized something and continued to speak.
[And now as it turns out, you described the monster that ruined the tribe, a giant monster with fire-breathing capabilities, and seemed like fire itself, correct? There is a monster with that characteristic, a monster named Chusung.], Neville exclaimed as he thought this might be a solid lead.
[Chusung? Chet .], Heoju grumbled in a disappointed tone.
‘Chusung?’
[There are many different kinds of monsters. Chusung is a monster like a chimera but also it isn’t at the same time. They say that Chusung is something that is like a dragon but is mutated freakishly and is rather weak. Hmm……… From this old man’s perspective, he was a quick-tempered and ignorant wretch. But given it’s been 400 years, maybe it’s a little more plausible.], Heoju spoke skeptically.
[Well there’s a lot of information in the City of Endless Night regarding monsters. In case you don’t know, would you like some information about the pursuit?], Neville asked.
‘Please do so.’ , Lee Sungmin replied.
There was no guarantee that Chusung was the monster that attacked the village, but it seemed necessary to know his existence at least.
—–
While heading toward The City of Endless Night, the Crazy Heavenly Demon did not speak much.
He meditated whenever he had time, and checked his internal energy conditions to make sure he was stable. Thanks to the solemn mood of the visit, the atmosphere of the party was rather quiet.
Rubia looked around for no reason, and Lee Sungmin checked his internal energy and cultivation with the Crazy Heavenly Demon.
Along the way, Lee Sungmin was informed by Selgerus that she had failed to process the scales and bones of the dragon. It seemed that eventually, he would have to visit the Dwarven Chief to process and use the bones and scales he got.
After 3 days of traveling since the separation with Aladdur, they saw the outskirts of The City of Endless Night.
It was night time, but the city life was still bustling with the faint dim glow of street lamps in the city.
[Ah, the city life here is beautiful. The monsters prefer the night look rather than the day when the sun is up.], Heoju muttered in a happy expression.
‘Is it really necessary to go in during the day though it’s always night here?’ , Lee Sungmin asked.
[If you want to fight monsters, it’s wise to go at sunrise rather than at night even if it’s just an illusion of sorts.], Heoju said to Lee Sungmin.
It was better to listen to Heoju, who was an incredibly old and powerful monster himself than going by Lee Sungmin’s own intuition. So the party camped out on the outskirts of the City until daytime came. The campfire was lit and the meal was ready, but the Crazy Heavenly Demon did not sit down.
He glared at the City of Endless Night with cold eyes.
“Are you all right?”, Lee Sungmin asked as he saw the odd expression from the Crazy Heavenly Demon.
“Yea.”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon replied emotionlessly.
It was the same question Lee Sungmin had kept asking him since leaving the tribe, and it was still the same answer every time. Lee Sungmin saw the Crazy Heavenly Demon’s back as he slowly nodded his head to Lee Sungmin’s question.
After staring at the direction of the City for a while, the Crazy Heavenly Demon came to the fire and sat down.
“I’m sorry.”, Byuk Won-Pae said gloomily.
“It’s all right.”, Lee Sungmin replied understandingly.
“…… my heart is so conflicted. I can’t believe I’m so agitated.”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon spoke truthfully and laughed.
Lee Sungmin didn’t know the exact details of the relationship between the dead woman from the tribe and Byuk Won-Pae but Lee Sungmin wasn’t going to ask him, as it was a sensitive time and topic.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to return one day. It was a light expectation I had. But… I came back with you all and found out she was murdered. I need to get revenge or my heart won’t settle.”, the Crazy Heavenly Demon said coldly as he glared at the embers withering away from the campfire.
—–
In the early morning, everyone woke up and prepared to enter silently without a word being spoken between them, as if it were agreed on prior to yesterday’s sleep.
The City of Endless Night was quiet, as it was still dark due to the nature of the City. The gate was wide open, but no guards were seen. There was no need for such a thing as guards to exist in the first place.
This was a city of monsters, not humans.
The street they could see through the entrance of the gate was wide and long. They crossed the street in silence and walked past the closed up street vendor shops. Lee Sungmin arranged the information in his head.
First of all, he was going to meet Frau, the teacher of Aladdur. He had already obtained the location of Frau from Neville so he was not too worried about finding her.
“……Um.”, Lee Sungmin recalled the information of his location as he looked at the scene before him.
The place where Frau was supposed to be located was part of the Red Light District in the City of Endless Night.
Lee Sungmin looked at the sexual atmosphere filled with drugs and attractive lighting with a perplexed expression.